Zenrin Datacom and Arealink Sign Strategic Partnership in the Storage Business

Zenrin Datacom Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Tatsuhiko Shimizu; hereinafter 'Zenrin Datacom') announces that it has signed a basic agreement to build a strategic partnership in the storage business and launched a joint project with Arealink Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Takayoshi Suzuki; hereinafter 'Arealink'), a company developing a land utilization business through trunk rooms.

■ Purpose of the Agreement

In the trunk room market, which is expected to see stable growth over the medium to long term, Arealink has expanded 'Hello Storage'—a rental storage space boasting one of the industry's largest market shares—nationwide and accumulated operational expertise. The purpose is to fuse this with the assets of Zenrin Datacom, which possesses vast, highly accurate map information and technological prowess. By doing so, the companies aim to realize 'data-driven decision-making' that does not rely on individual judgment, dramatically accelerating the speed of business expansion.

■ Future Developments

We will begin discussions toward the joint development of a next-generation 'Land Selection Application'. This application will integrate Arealink's store-opening and operational expertise with Zenrin Datacom's human mobility data, statistical information, and advanced AI analysis technology, enabling more efficient and highly accurate extraction of candidate store locations.

■ Comment from Tatsuhiko Shimizu, President and CEO of Zenrin Datacom Co., Ltd.

We have recently formed a strategic partnership in the trunk room business with the aim of streamlining land selection operations. Based on the various data possessed by our company, we aim to enable the extraction of appropriate candidate sites by utilizing AI analysis in selecting installation locations for Arealink's trunk rooms. Moving forward, utilizing the expertise we have cultivated, we will sequentially provide new services under the concept of 'creating better services by making full use of AI'.

■ Comment from Takayoshi Suzuki, President and CEO of Arealink Co., Ltd.

With the start of consideration for this partnership, we expect that 'land selection,' which is the foundation of our trunk room development, will become dramatically more sophisticated. By borrowing the power of Zenrin Datacom's technology, we will proceed with business development that meets our customers' needs more speedily and accurately.

[About Arealink Co., Ltd.]

A company expanding a space utilization business centered on trunk rooms. For land owners, we propose the trunk room business as an effective utilization measure for idle or small plots of land, providing a one-stop service from planning and development to operational support. For users, we offer various types of trunk rooms nationwide to meet the storage needs of individuals and corporations, providing new and valuable forms of storage and space utilization through safe, secure, and highly convenient storage services.

■ Company Profile

Company Name: Zenrin Datacom Co., Ltd. (https://www.zenrin-datacom.net/)

Headquarters: msb Tamachi Tamachi Station Tower N 22F, 3-1-1 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Representative: Tatsuhiko Shimizu, President and CEO

Established: April 13, 2000

Capital: 2,283,010 thousand yen (as of April 1, 2025)

Business Description:

- ITS Business: Telematics business utilizing high-precision map data

- Internet Service Business: Value-added corporate information services based on maps

- Consumer Business: Map and navigation services including 'Zenrin Chizu Navi', 'Itsumo NAVI', and 'GODOOR'

- Future Advanced Business: Highly accurate maps and 3D maps using real-time sensing technology

Number of Employees: 425 (as of April 1, 2025)